


Family For Hanukkah

by ReleasingmyInsanity



Category: Sesame Street (TV)
Genre: Canon Character of Color, Canon Jewish Character, Cute Kids, Deaf Character, Disclaimer: Written By A Gentile, Established Relationship, Families of Choice, Fluff, Food mention, Gen, Hanukkah, Holidays, Interracial Relationship, Mr. Hooper is everyone's dad, Mr. Hooper lives, Sweetness, Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 00:15:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16821292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReleasingmyInsanity/pseuds/ReleasingmyInsanity
Summary: A story about Mr. Hooper spending Hanukkah with his Sesame Street family over the years.





	Family For Hanukkah

Harold Hooper had always celebrated Hanukah. The celebration was important to him. He and his younger brother Arnold had celebrated it with their parents when they were children and both continued the tradition as adults.

With Arnold and his family living in Chicago, the two brothers didn’t see each other on most holidays, although they talked on the phone. They did usually spend Passover and the High Holy Days together, but plane tickets were expensive and they couldn’t see each other on every holiday.

As the only Jewish resident of Sesame Street, Mr. Hooper usually celebrated holidays on his own and in the synagogue. But ever since he was a boy, he had invited his best friends to join him for one of the nights of Hanukah. Mac and Willy had become quite accustomed to joining their friend for his December holiday and knew all the traditions.

\--

When the three men first became guardians to Big Bird, it was easy for Mr. Hooper to include the bird in his holiday tradition. After all, Big Bird was sort of his son now, and it was important to share your faith with your children.

Big Bird learned eagerly about Hanukah’s celebration and meaning, happy to be a part of something that was significant to his older friend and father figure. He learned from Mr. Macintosh and Willy about their holidays as well. Being included in the traditions of his three “dads” meant a lot to Big Bird, and being able to share their beliefs with their “son” made the men quite happy.

Mr. Hooper had never expected to be a father at all, but filling the role for Big Bird felt natural. Even so, he thought Big Bird would be his only “child.” He couldn’t have been more mistaken. While he didn’t adopt, officially or unofficially, any more children, he did find himself playing a fatherly role to three young adults who moved to Sesame Street.

Susan, Gordon, and Bob were all very smart, but they were still very young and it was clear that they needed an older adult to keep an eye on them. By the time December rolled around they had somehow become his honorary children.

“Are you sure?” Gordon asked when Mr. Hooper invited them to join him for the fourth night of Hanukah. “We’re not Jewish. We wouldn’t be intruding?”

“If I didn’t want you there, I wouldn’t have invited you.” Mr. Hooper told him. “Of course I’m sure. Mr. Macintosh and Willy aren’t Jewish either but they always come. And Big Bird of course.”

Gordon smiled. “In that case. We’d love to join you.” Bob and Susan nodded behind him.

Susan, Gordon, and Bob were all a little lost when it came to celebrating Hanukah, but all three were excited to learn more about the holiday, and to be asked to celebrate with him.

\--

The next group of adult “children” that Mr. Hooper unofficially adopted were trouble, but he loved them. It wasn’t a hard decision to decide to invite them to join him and the others for the fifth night.

Linda took out books from the library collection on Hanukah and shared them with Maria, Luis, and David. “ _It’s not Mr. Hooper’s job to teach us about Jewish traditions, so I did the research._ ”

She had of course managed to find too much information in her research, so they still had to ask which traditions he followed. But Mr. Hooper found it touching that his new kids would go to so much effort to make him happy.

Even if Olivia hadn’t become one of his honorary children immediately, she still would have been invited for Hanukah. After all, this evening was for family, and as Gordon’s sister, Olivia was family.

Olivia listened quietly as everyone explained to her what they knew about Hanukah and how they celebrated with Mr. Hooper and what she should know. Then she asked a single question. “Is it okay if I bring my camera? I want to take some family photos.”

Mr. Hooper was touched and of course told her yes. He would love some photos of his family celebrating the holiday together.

\--

Harriet Taylor, David’s grandmother, was a very special lady. Mr. Hooper thought highly of her. From her first visit to the street he found her fun to be around and it was clear that she enjoyed spending time with him as well. When she had a free moment during a visit she would sit at the counter in his store and chat with him as he worked.

A couple of years after they first met, he finally worked up the resolve to invite her to join the family for Hanukah that year. It wasn’t as though he was embarrassed to ask. Certainly not. But she was a busy woman and couldn’t just take time away from her farm whenever she felt like it.

“Harriet?” Mr. Hooper asked finally during her visit. He had already checked to make sure that none of the “children” were watching, he didn’t need them interrupting.

“I always have some friends over for one of the nights of Hanukah and I wanted to invite you to join us. David always comes,” he added as an afterthought.

“I would love to. Thank you Harold.” Harriet reached over and squeezed his hand that was resting on the counter, before turning the conversation back to the large watermelons that she had grown this year.

\--

The adoption of Miles by Susan and Gordon was an occasion of much joy. Everyone was thrilled that the two members of their family who had wanted so desperately to be parents finally had a child of their own. Mr. Hooper discovered a feeling he never expected to have. He felt not unlike a grandfather. As though his children had just presented him with his first grandchild.

“Of course I want you to bring Miles,” he told Susan and Gordon when they asked if Miles was welcome to join the family for Hanukah. “I have a special present for him.”

Miles loved his plush dreidel toy, as was evidenced by his best attempts to chew on it like he did with his stuffed animals. When he wasn’t holding it and trying to put it in his mouth he was giving it to whichever grownup happened to have picked him up. Mr. Hooper smiled. His “grandson” was adorable.

\--

When Miles was a couple of years old, Mr. Hooper gained another “child.” Gina was still in high school, but she had more sense than just about anyone else. She also began working with him in the store and quickly became a member of the family. She was honored to be invited to celebrate Hanukah with Mr. Hooper and the others.

Miles taught her how to play dreidel, at least, the way he played it at three-years-old. Gina was very patient and played with him, helping him to spin the dreidel and cheering whenever he won the pot.

A few years after Gina arrived there was one more new addition to the family. When Gabriela was born, there was never any question as to whether she was invited for Hanukah. She was a member of the family. Of course she was invited. Every year that the family got bigger was cause for celebration.

As the children grew older, the tradition of spending time together during Hanukah stayed steady. Every year they gathered together for the holiday and enjoyed being together. As far as Harold Hooper was concerned, nothing compared to the moment when his family gathered around to light the candles. In that moment the differences between them didn’t matter. They were simply a family.

**Author's Note:**

> Sesame Street has been brought to you today by the letters H and F and by the number 8.
> 
> As I mentioned in my tags, I am not Jewish, so if I say anything wrong, please let me know so I can correct it.
> 
> According to the internet, the High Holy Days are the ten day period from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur. Thanks internet. 
> 
> Arytra and I gave Harriet and David the last name of Taylor for Harriet’s actress. Clarice Taylor.
> 
> I think it varies which night Mr. Hooper has the others over for. Especially since sometimes Hanukah intersects with Christmas. They support his holiday and he supports theirs.


End file.
